Apparatuses and methods for recovering service from rejected signaling procedure due to network failure

Abstract

A mobile communication device is provided with a wireless module and a controller module. The wireless module performs wireless transmissions and receptions to and from a first Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) and a second PLMN. The controller module performs a signaling procedure with the first PLMN via the wireless module, and performs a PLMN selection procedure via the wireless module without retrying the signaling procedure with the first PLMN, in response to the signaling procedure being failed with a rejection cause indicating a network failure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile communication device, comprising:
 a wireless module performing wireless transmissions and receptions to and from a first Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) and a second PLMN; and   a controller module performing a signaling procedure with the first PLMN via the wireless module, and performing a PLMN selection procedure via the wireless module without retrying the signaling procedure with the first PLMN, in response to the signaling procedure being failed with a rejection cause indicating a network failure.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the signaling procedure is an attach procedure, a location update procedure, a routing area update procedure, or a tracking area update procedure. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the signaling procedure is performed with the first PLMN using a first wireless technology, and the PLMN selection procedure is performed only for the first PLMN using a second wireless technology. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile communication device of  claim 3 , wherein the controller module further performs another PLMN selection procedure for the second PLMN via the wireless module, in response to failure of the PLMN selection procedure only for the first PLMN. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile communication device of  claim 4 , wherein the controller module further sets a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) or a Universal SIM (USIM) coupled to the mobile communication device as invalid, in response to failure of the PLMN selection procedure for the second PLMN. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the PLMN selection procedure is performed for the second PLMN. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile communication device of  claim 5 , wherein the controller module further sets a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) or a Universal SIM (USIM) coupled to the mobile communication device as invalid, in response to failure of the PLMN selection procedure for the second PLMN. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller module further camps on the first PLMN or the second PLMN in response to success of the PLMN selection procedure. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile communication device of  claim 2 , wherein the first wireless technology is one of a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technology, an Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) technology, a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) technology, and a Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, and the first wireless technology is another one of the GPRS technology, the EDGE technology, the WCDMA technology, and the LTE technology. 
     
     
         10 . A method for a mobile communication device to recover service from a signaling procedure rejected with a network failure, comprising:
 performing the signaling procedure with a first PLMN; and   performing a PLMN selection procedure without retrying the signaling procedure with the first PLMN, in response to the signaling procedure being failed with a rejection cause indicating a network failure.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the signaling procedure is an attach procedure, a location update procedure, a routing area update procedure, or a tracking area update procedure. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the signaling procedure is performed with the first PLMN using a first wireless technology, and the PLMN selection procedure is performed only for the first PLMN using a second wireless technology. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 performing another PLMN selection procedure for the second PLMN, in response to failure of the PLMN selection procedure only for the first PLMN.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 setting a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) or a Universal SIM (USIM) coupled to the mobile communication device as invalid, in response to failure of the PLMN selection procedure for the second PLMN.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the PLMN selection procedure is performed for the second PLMN. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 setting a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) or a Universal SIM (USIM) coupled to the mobile communication device as invalid, in response to failure of the PLMN selection procedure for the second PLMN.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 camping on the first PLMN or the second PLMN in response to success of the PLMN selection procedure.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first wireless technology is one of a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technology, an Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) technology, a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) technology, and a Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, and the first wireless technology is another one of the GPRS technology, the EDGE technology, the WCDMA technology, and the LTE technology.